After four organisations joined together to organise the first-ever African Wildscreen Festival in Nairobi, Kenya‘s breathtaking scenery will be honoured later this month on a worldwide scale.
The festival, which is being billed as Wildscreen’s first-ever African event, will take place from June 30 to July 1 at the Alliance Française in Nairobi with BBC Studios Natural History Unit serving as the event’s lead sponsor.
A collaboration between Wildscreen, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Film Commission, WildlifeDirect, and the African Wildlife Foundation led to the creation of the festival.
The international partnership of non-profit conservation organisations and partners in the wildlife filming industry will highlight the continent’s flourishing, innovative, and distinctive stories. Africa is one of the most actively shot regions of the natural world.
Dr. Erustus Kanga, the acting director general of KWS, stated that they are at the beginning of a common adventure and are united in their desire to save and maintain the great Kenyan parks and the world as a whole..
“Through our partnership with Wildscreen, we will harness the power of storytelling, film, and innovation to inspire global communities and drive lasting positive change in environmental conservation,” Kanga said.
Kanga said the festival will help raise voices, tell compelling stories, and mobilise others to join in the vital mission of conserving wildlife for posterity.
“With dedication, collaboration, and a steadfast belief in our ability to overcome challenges, we will ensure a sustainable and thriving future for wildlife and humanity alike,” he said.
The festival will also celebrate the emergence of Kenya as an internationally significant global film hub whilst featuring leading native storytellers and filmmakers, providing networking, commissioning and career opportunities.
It is the first time that all these organisations have worked together, creating a unique collaboration with an intended collective impact.
Nairobi is the first from the Wildscreen Festival 2022 Global Hubs programme to progress and evolves in hosting its own event, which mirrors the ambition and vision of the partners.
The festival will be hosted by Jahawi Bertolli, an award-winning Kenyan filmmaker, National Geographic Explorer and iLCP Associate Fellow, who will bring his experience of growing up in Kenya and his passion for natural world storytelling.